Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864 -- Friends and associates; Novelists, American -- 19th century -- Biography
He was gifted with a low,
melodious, exquisitely modulated voice, and a most engaging and winning
manner, and when he set out to picture the simple and easy methods
whereby he proposed to make millions, it was next to impossible to
resist him. He was like a beautiful, innocent, brilliant child, grown
up, endowed with an enchanter's wand, which was forever promising all
the kingdoms of the earth to him, but never (as our modern phrase is)
delivered the goods. He regarded my father as a king of men, and he had,
times without number, been on the very edge of making him, as well as
himself, a multifold millionaire. However, President Pierce did what he
could for him by giving him the Portuguese mission (after first offering
it to my father), and O'Sullivan did excellent work there. But he became
interested--abstractly--in some copper-mines in Spain, which, as he
clearly demonstrated, could be bought for a song, and would pay a
thousand per cent, from the start. Partly to gratify him, and partly
with the hope of at least getting his money back, my father finally, in
1858 or 1859, advanced him ten thousand dollars to finance the scheme. I
saw the dear old gentleman, a generation later, in New York; he had the
same clear, untroubled, tranquil face as of old; his hair, though
gray, was as thick and graceful as ever; his manner was as sweet and
attractive; but though, in addition to his other accomplishments, he had
become an advanced spiritualist, he had not yet coined into bullion his
golden imagination. He had forgotten the Spanish copper-mines, and I
took care not to remind him of them. Peace to his generous, ardent, and
loving soul!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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